Burgers, ribs, chili and other foods for the football fans
You’ll want these tasty eats in your game plan
I grew up a short walk from the old Yankee Stadium, which is where the New York Giants played before they moved to a swamp in New Jersey.
On Sundays, braving the winds of winter, often covered with flurries, we’d assemble in Babe Ruth Park across from the stadium to listen to the game on tinny transistor radios — and more importantly cook hot dogs and hamburgers over sad little hibachis, which had barely enough surface for a couple of dogs, and then a couple of buns.
Still, we were tailgating, participating in a great American tradition that was, in its own way, even more important than the game. And anyway, cold as the outdoor temperatures were, we drank beer, cheap canned brew, which was the most important part of the ritual. That and listening to the cheers from the crowd in the stadium, every time quarterback Y.A. Tittle threw a bomb.
Little did we know — and little do we know today — that we were participating in a ritual that started during the American Civil War, when in 1861, civilians gathered near Washington, D.C., to watch the first Battle of Bull Run — and cheer on the Union troops or the Confederates. (They sure don’t make wars like they used to!) “Fans” actually brought picnic baskets, reportedly packed with minced meat, apple pie and plum pudding. And whiskey. Lots of whiskey.
It wasn’t until 1869 that the still unnamed tailgate became a college football standard, when Rutgers played Princeton. And more proper fans showed up for chili, pork and corn served from chuck wagons to eat during the game. Washed down with whiskey. But also with beer — which in time supplanted whiskey as the drink of choice.
It took another 50 years for these game-time feeds to be christened tailgating, when at a 1919 Green Bay Packers game, fans showed up in pickup trucks, parked them around the field, and sat on the tailgate — eating ham and potatoes, washed down with lots of alcoholic beverages, for this was the last year before Prohibition.
Over the years, tailgating came to be as much fun — if not more fun — than the game itself. It’s a big deal at pro football games. But even a bigger deal at college
games, where a recent survey of students came up with a list of the most popular tailgate foods — ranking
them from chili and ribs, through hot dogs and hamburgers, fried chicken and nachos, and, at the top, chips and dips. And beer. Always beer. Lots of beer. (Except, of course, for the designated driver.)
Many of the dishes can be cobbled together with ease. But for those who enjoy a lazy weekend, the notion of grabbing some wellcrafted tailgate chow from masters of the tasty arts has much appeal.
And, because there are still some much-loved dishes I need to make myself, I’ve included recipes.
The beer is, of course, up to you. But for the best of the best in your hood, on the way to the big game, consider picking up these beer-friendly options . ... And go, team!
Dips and chips
Supermarkets throughout Southern California abound with whole aisles packed with nothing but snacks. We live in a snack food paradise, with dips and chips everywhere we turn. But for me, there’s really only one choice — the shop I regularly refer to as The Salt, Fat & Sugar Store. I speak, of course, of Trader Joe’s, which despite its many options for healthful eating, is at heart a destination for pure, unabashed unadulterated indulgence — with new snack foods showing up on the shelves all the time.
When it comes to dips, the list is long, stretching into the culinary distance: 5-layer dip, caramelized onion dip, Buffalo style chicken dip, artichoke & jalapeño dip, tzatziki creamy garlic cucumber dip, roasted garlic hummus, blue cheese roasted pecan dip, ricotta & parmesan truffle dip. I could easily go on and on.
And when it comes to chips, the selection is almost as large. I find happiness in bags of salt and vinegar potato chips, nacho cheese tortilla chips, spud crunchies, white truffle potato chips, organic corn chip dippers, ghost pepper potato chips, multiseed soy sauce rice crackers and many more.
Ribs
At Britt’s BBQ (408 Main St., El Segundo, 310-6400408, bbqelsegundoca. com), there are salads on the menu — a bit of a concession to those who can’t live without a salad, though the barbecue chipotle salad is topped with a choice of smoked meats, which seems to make it more of a plate of meat with greens, than of greens with meat.
More substantial are the feeds listed under the heading “Meals” — the barbecue bean bowl made with hot links, pork and brisket; and the barbecue tacos, with a choice of pork, brisket or chicken, and two sides.
The menu is thoughtful enough to explain the difference between rib cuts, though I am still befuddled. There are spare ribs. And there are St. Louis ribs, which are spare ribs with the rib tips cut off. We’re told baby backs are “the filet mignon of ribs.” And there are rib tips as well. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2021
Pictures would help. Or maybe, you could just cut to the chase, and order the two-meat, three-meat or four-meat combos — a bit of everything, including the smoked chicken.
Fried chicken
At Blazin’ Hens Nashville Hot Chicken (Slider Stop, 2315 Artesia Blvd., Redondo Beach; 310-2145200, blazinhens.com), the chicken comes at six levels of hotness, which should be taken seriously.
It goes from plain (flavored with salt), through mild (guajillo pepper), medium (cayenne), hot (habanero), x-hot (ghost) and blazin’ (Carolina Reaper).
The last is a legendary pepper, the ingestion of which by fools who just pop the peppers in their mouths, has been known to stop their breathing, and even land them in the hospital.
The menu also offers the Scoville scale of hotness. Guajillo score 5,000. The Reaper is 1,539,300. Seriously hot. Possibly fatally so.
The chicken, when it arrives, is a fascinating creation. The crust, and there’s plenty of it, is tinged red. Indeed, a good deal of the hotness seems to be in the crust. It’s properly crunchy, which is good. And the chicken within is properly moist, which is also good.
There are waffles for dessert. I’d prefer ice cream, but there it is.